Passport

[youngdeb12]

so frustrating!!! My daughter has also contacted the MP to see if they can help. We don't travel till early December but she sent in her sons and boyfriends passport applications in early May and still have not heard anything. The MP said they will let her know but because our trip isn't till December they prob won't be able to do much yet.

I submitted our own personal renewals for my kids passports in January and had them in 2ish months. We weren't travelling until October. Others have mentioned recently that they've submitted through Service Canada and had them in less than a month. Why can't they prioritize the people that sent their passport applications in months ago? The system is definitely flawed.

 

[tlcdoula]

I submitted our own personal renewals for my kids passports in January and had them in 2ish months. We weren't travelling until October. Others have mentioned recently that they've submitted through Service Canada and had them in less than a month. Why can't they prioritize the people that sent their passport applications in months ago? The system is definitely flawed.

It seems backwards. I understand people who need them in an emergency being able to get them but when we try to plan ahead and not plans are on hold because they can't process them fast enough. I'm sure she will get them in time but if not we we will be running around franticly trying to get them in time, taking time off work to go pick them up and drive a couple hours each way. AHHHHHHH it's driving me insane honestly. This trip is costing me a small fortune and I want to enjoy planning not stressing if they can go or not. (sorry rant over lol)

 

[Frozen2014]

We got back from our Disney trip labor day weekend and DH went a couple days later to submit an application for our daughter (renewal). He was given a date of 3rd week of January to receive it. Her next trip is March break so it's fine but will be nervous if it starts going into Feb and we still don't have it. We're in Toronto Ontario.

 

[Etch]

He was given a date of 3rd week of January to receive it

I feel like this is at least a step in the right direction in that they're giving out realistic timelines to receive your passport.

They stuck to claiming the short timelines for so long when everyone know they weren't anywhere close to meeting them.

Mailed my son's application in mid June. Credit card charged mid July. Not sure when we'll see it but we don't have any firm travel plans at this point.

 

[Griffin11]

They stuck to claiming the short timelines for so long when everyone know they weren't anywhere close to meeting them.

Yes, I think it would be such a different situation if they had been communicating realistic timelines all along.

When we submitted our applications by mail at the end of May the timeline was 9 weeks. Since then it's increased to 13 and now 17 weeks.

We are at 16 weeks and counting for my kids' passports (first passports for them). My husband and I (both renewals) got ours at about the 8 week mark.

We aren't travelling until February, but I would like to get them soon so I can stop thinking about it!

 

[mackaylc]

Final update! I picked up my kids passports today at noon, for a travel date of Thursday! I had received a call on Thursday of last week, letting me know it would be ready today at noon. The office was not too busy for mid-day. Just happy that I have them in my hand

 

[quandrea]

We are travelling this week, at the end of November and beginning of January. I plan on applying for a renewal as soon as we return mid October. The passports expire the day before we come home in February. I wonder if a little over a month will be enough to get them? Maybe I’m better off cutting my Jan/Feb trip a day short? We then travel in May. That would give me just under three months to get the renewal. Very frustrating that we are living in a country where getting a passport is so difficult.

Can I pay for faster service? I can go to a passport dedicated office and I can pick up in person.

 

[youngdeb12]

We are travelling this week, at the end of November and beginning of January. I plan on applying for a renewal as soon as we return mid October. The passports expire the day before we come home in February. I wonder if a little over a month will be enough to get them? Maybe I’m better off cutting my Jan/Feb trip a day short? We then travel in May. That would give me just under three months to get the renewal. Very frustrating that we are living in a country where getting a passport is so difficult.

Can I pay for faster service? I can go to a passport dedicated office and I can pick up in person.

I've heard renewals are taking less time than new applications. Since you're travelling so much, I would renew at a Passport office to guarantee you will have it back in time. There's no guarantee you will have it back within a month. It will cost extra and I believe you have to have firm travel dates within the next 45 days and it will take up to 2 weeks for processing.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports.html

 

[quandrea]

I've heard renewals are taking less time than new applications. Since you're travelling so much, I would renew at a Passport office to guarantee you will have it back in time. There's no guarantee you will have it back within a month. It will cost extra and I believe you have to have firm travel dates within the next 45 days and it will take up to 2 weeks for processing.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports.html

Thanks. I thought it’s a renewal but since it’s for my twins, 13, it’s a completely new one. No renewals for kids. I’m willing to pay for urgent service, so hopefully we will be okay. We have Nexus and one is supposed to be able to travel to the US using only nexus, but I’ve never tested it. I plan on trying only Nexus on this October trip to test the waters. Crazy times!!

 

[jaceraden]

Got a "signature required" xpresspost yesterday. Got excited but it was just the old passport and birth cert. 4 months later, I think we might almost be done!

 

[Griffin11]

Got a "signature required" xpresspost yesterday. Got excited but it was just the old passport and birth cert. 4 months later, I think we might almost be done!

Fingers crossed for you, but it was 8-9 weeks after we got our birth certificates back when the passports finally arrived.

 

[jaceraden]

Fingers crossed for you, but it was 8-9 weeks after we got our birth certificates back when the passports finally arrived.

Seriously?! What the actual eff?

I submitted a status request email on September 22 and never got a response. Was sort of hoping lack of response meant it was already in the mail...

 

[scrappinginontario]

Hopefully things are speeding up! I mailed my daughter's passport application (renewal?) Oct 6th. It was delivered Oct 11th per Canada Post tracking.

Today, just 15 days after mailing and 10 days after arriving at the Passport renewal office, I received her original passport and Citizenship card back via courier! My credit card was charged Oct 16th.

Based on info others are sharing above, guessing it may be another couple of months before we have her passport in hand but it's still better than I had expected.

We don't travel until late Feb but would feel better if we had her passport in hand sooner.

 

[Frozen2014]

We were pleasantly surprised with our recent experience. DH went to the passport office and handed in an application for our DD's passport (child one) right after Labor Day. They gave us an ETA of end of January but it arrived this week; about 5 weeks later.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Update: Passport in hand! 3 1/2 weeks!